


A Rose By Any Other Name

by Hoehoehoelt



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Genre: Engagement, Fluff, Gay, Late night cuddles, M/M, Marriage, Name choosing, Tiny amount of angst, just dudes being gay, just guys being dudes, mlm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-27 16:37:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16223078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hoehoehoelt/pseuds/Hoehoehoelt
Summary: For the first time in a while, Nikolai Mahariel is...Happy!But he also carries many worries and insecurities with him.Zevran is always there to comfort him though and ease his mind.





	A Rose By Any Other Name

It had been a year since the final battle.

 

A year since Nico and Zevran had seen each other.

 

Nico had been busy at Vigil’s Keep in Amaranthine for the last year, trying to rebuild the wardens order in Fereldan. Zevran meanwhile had been in Antiva, wreaking havoc and taking down the Crows guild masters one by one until finally they were no longer a threat to him and he had freed every child bought by them.

 

Nico was so happy to see him walking in the gates of the keep. He cut off a conversation he was having with a noble just to run to Zevran and jump into his arms, tears immediately beginning to roll down his cheeks as he babbled happily in Elven.

 

That had been a month ago.

 

It was late, yet Nico couldn’t sleep. He was sitting up in the bed he shared with Zevran, fingers fidgeting and pulling softly at the golden ring hanging from his ear.

 

They had been engaged for a year and a half too...They were both happy with it, not wanting to rush things. Just being together was more than enough.

 

There were days when Nico was sure Zevran must be sick of his hesitance…

 

But then Zevran would press a kiss to his head, call him amor, reassure him…

 

Nico’s guilt would soon leave him.

 

But like many nights before this one, he was awake with worry. Anxieties flouding his mind.

 

The most prominent one?

 

Whose name were they to take when they finally did tie the knot?

 

Both of their names were important to them. For Nico, it was his home. His clan. His heritage. His family...For Zevran, his name signified the cell he grew up in. What he survived. His past…

 

Nico was stuck at an impasse.

 

He sighed, rubbing his face with hands. He then tensed when I felt a pair of arms encircling his waist suddenly, but quickly relaxed when his brain thankfully reminded him it was just his lover. A good year or two on the road tended to leave one jumpy.

 

“What troubles you, amor…?”

 

Nico was tempted to say nothing, already feeling much better in his lovers embrace, but he knew Zevran wasn’t likely to take that for an answer...So he turns around, pushes Zevran back down on the bed, and instead straddles him.

 

Zevran chuckles and gently grabs Nico’s waist, squeezing softly with calloused fingers. Nico gives him a small smile in return, leaning down to press a kiss to the former assassins lips. After, he settles down on top of him, tucking his head under Zevran’s chin.

 

“I’m afraid that isn’t quite an answer, my dear.”

 

“Shush...I’m thinking…”

 

Zevran hummed in response, bringing a hand up to run his fingers through Nico’s black locks. Nico had to resist the urge to just completely let himself go and begin purring like a cat under such ministrations.

 

Eventually though, unable to avoid the subject any longer...Nico managed to speak. Though his voice was quiet and reserved, as if he was afraid of the answer.

 

“...What will be our name..? After the wedding…?”

 

He feels Zevran tense beneath him, and tears almost immediately spring to his eyes. He was terrified he had crossed a line. This was why he hated bringing up issues. He should have just kept his mouth shut. Now Zevran would surely be angry and ask why he would even consider anything other than Arainai and  think Nico doesn’t truly love him and-

 

“Is that what you were worrying about..? Oh my love…”

 

His voice is so soft and loving that Nico has to stop himself from crying by taking in a ragged breath. It certainly wasn’t the response he was expecting, though Nico’s mind did have a tendency to imagine the worst possible outcome.

 

Nico nods softly and lifts himself up to look in Zevran’s warm brown eyes again with his own steel coloured ones, and Zevran brings a hand up, placing it on Nico’s cheek and stroking his cheekbone with his thumb in a small comforting gesture.

 

“I say we take both names. Mahariel...I think I rather like the sound of that. And Nico Arainai? My love, my heart is already pounding with excitement. Nikolai and Zevran Arainai-Mahariel...Quite a name for the history books, no?”

 

Nico’s face was almost completely on fire by the time Zevran was finished, the other elf always managing to fluster the Dalish warden somehow. But...The sound of that did sound rather appealing. And Nico felt immensely relieved.

 

He nodded and reached up with his own hand to take Zevran’s, intertwining their fingers and squeezing softly, before letting go again and climbing off of him to instead curl up beside him.

 

Zevran wrapped an arm around his waist again, tangling their legs together and resting his chin atop Nico’s head. Nico huffed out a slow breath and closed his eyes again, allowing sleep to come and take him.

 

Arainai-Mahariel...Yes, he liked it very much. It was theirs.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed!!! ^^
> 
> You can find me on tumblr at: hoehoehoelt


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